Chapter 50:

42. Liberation

Heart Dream - How I Got To Chase My Dreams and Myself In Another World!


Caoilainn entered the house and found Richard in a corner of the room, shivering and crying. She called out to him:
- "Richard! What happened?!" - seeing no answer, she got closer and called again - "Richard! What happened?!" - without any reaction, Caoilainn knelt beside him and asked again - "Richard, wake up, come on! What's happening!?" - Richard looked at her, scared.
- "I-I-I'm sorry" - he said - "Caoilainn, I'm sorry" - he panted intensely.
- "Sorry about what Richard?!"
- "I'm sorry Caoilainn. I-I-I-I-"
- "Stop!" - Caoilainn said. - "Breath, relax, what happened?" - she said that breathing deeply and signaling him to do the same. He tried and got a little better.
- "I-I-I-I-" - Richard said and took a breath - "I killed Isabella..."
- "What?!"
- "No, I-I-I'm sorry, I don't know what got me" - he hesitated and still was shaking -"he-he-her heart is inside the chest, I killed her, I killed her, sorry." - he shook his head around. Caoilainn was scared, but puzzled. She got up and opened the chest. She sighed. She got near him, knelt again, showed him the chest and said:
- "See? There is nothing here. The chest is empty."
- "What?" - he asked - "empty, then where is her heart? Where did I put it?" - he was getting up, but Caoilainn held his arms and made him seat.
- "No, Richard, calm down! Breathe!" - she also breathed deeply - "You didn't kill her. It does not make any sense. I don't know what happened, but I think you must have had some kind of bad dream." - Richard now finally looked up into Caoilainn's eyes. He slowly breathed and stopped shaking, which took a few minutes. Caoilainn remained by his side.

When he was feeling somewhat recovered he slowly got up saying:
- "I guess this was a trap."
- "Yeah, it was" - Caoilainn smiled, glad he was able to get up.
- "It was so real, it was so real, you know" - Richard hesitated - "Isabella's heart inside the chest" - Caoilainn also got up, put her hand on his shoulder and said:
- "I can't imagine how bad it was." - she looked inside his eyes - "but now we have to check for Isabella. Where is she?"
- "She was inside that room" - he pointed at the curtains - "together with Dacrina."
- "Let us go now" - they went inside the room.

Inside, they saw Isabella alone, with her eyes closed. Caoilainn said:
- "She seems to be asleep, but her face, it tells something bad, Richard." - Caoilainn hesitated - "She seems bad. She's afraid." - she looked at Richard - "I think I know how to wake her up. But I need your help" - she stared at him. Richard lowered his eyes. He was shaking a bit. He was scared. And he was afraid of trusting Caoilainn after the incident at the keep. However, he looked at her. And he remembered what had just happened. How she saved him. How she proved it was him who was wrong, not with words, but with her heart. Still looking down, Richard said:
- "I'm sorry, Caoilainn. I should have trusted you more. I will trust you now." - Caoilainn smiled a bit and said:
- "Now we need to call out to her, so that she will wake up, with all our strength and hearts." - then Caoilainn started calling Isabella and Richard did the same.

- "Isabella!" - Isabella heard a different voice that drew her attention.
- "You are a disgrace!"
- "You do not deserve to smile!"
- "Isabella!" - another voice in the midst of the shadows.
- "Be ashamed!"
- "You are ungrateful!"
- "Despise yourself!"
- "Lobster! Lobster!"
- "Isabella!"
- "Give up already!"
- "Disappear already!"
- "Peuco!"
- "You let your friends be captured and suffer!"
- "You are a disgrace!"
- "Isabella, wake up!"
- "You should be ashamed!"
- "You are evil!"
- "Isabella we love you!" - to that sound Isabella got shaken. Her heart was racing, she was panting, she was sobbing. Despite that, something woke deep inside of her and she slowly got up. She saw the shadows circling around her, there was no light to be seen. Regardless of that, she said:
- "You are all liars. I am really bad, I made lots of mistakes." - she said, looking down - "I am terrible indeed. But I love and I am loved, my friends believe me and I believe in them." - she looked up - "This is a set up! We will never destroy ourselves! I am lady Isabella of Kitatik and I may be terribly flawed. But I will never give up" - and with that, she unsheathed her sword and slashed at the shadows. As she did that more and more shadows appeared, but she cut them all down and started running and cutting them down. She did not hear their voices anymore, she only heard:
- "Isabella!" - and went into that direction. Cutting the shadows down she saw light.

Isabella woke up in Dacrina's room, but no one was in front of her. On her sides, were Caoilainn and Richard. She was dizzy and they waited for her to recompose herself. After a deep breath, Isabella said:
- "Thank you, Richard and Caoilainn" - with that, Caoilainn jumped and hugged her.
- "I was so worried, Isa" - she squeezed her friend - "you seemed to be suffering so much."
- "Yes, I saw some horrible stuff. But I heard your voices and was able to fight back and wake up" - Isabella said as Caoilainn released her - "thank you too." - she looked at both.
- "Caoilainn also saved me" - said Richard - "she is amazing."
- "Thank you!" - Caoilainn replied smiling.
- "Well, let's go outside, as this was a trap, Mazanlold might be in danger too" - the three left the house.

- "What the?" - shouted Mazanlold, as he stepped away and ran to get his morning star and return to the fight. He instantly jumped again to avoid another attack from Epitropos. The automaton then unleashed a flurry of attacks, which Mazanlold promptly defended. All the hits were very strong and Mazanlold had to step away and correct his stance at each hit. He unleashed two hits and ran to gain a small distance and regain his breath, before bracing for more attacks.

"I wish Caoilainn was here" - he thought to himself, as he avoided a new series of hits. That's when he had an idea. Mazanlold changed his stance, keeping his morning star close to him, forcing Epitropos to get nearer with each attack. As the automaton exposed itself, Mazanlold used his rune and turned his weapon into a spear. As he defended a hit, he was able to poke Epitropos gem. Mazanlold impaled it at full strength, causing the automaton to flinch. Mazanlold removed the spear, turned into a morning star and as Epitropos was reacting, Mazanlold struck its gem with two strong hits. The automaton knelt and was going to react as Mazanlold thrust his morning star inside the gem, causing it to shatter. The vines withered, and the stones got a millennia older in an instant and fell to the ground. The red eye on what used to be Epitropos's head disappeared.

Mazanlold sat down and panted.

Outside, Richard, Isabella and Caoilainn saw Mazanlold panting on the ground and the defeated automaton near the altar. In that moment, the altar crumbled and where it was, Dacrina appeared. However, she had horns and red eyes this time.
- "Donisemon!" - Isabella shouted.
- "Demon Duke Donisemon" - he replied - "did you enjoy my show today?" - he bowed.
- "I never feast on evil" - as Isabella said that, the four walked towards each other, keeping their distance from the Duke.
- "I thought it was quite nice" - Donisemon looked away and back at them - "but I feel quite frustrated, you didn't seem to enjoy at all. I prepared a great fight for Mazanlold, some interesting visions for Richard and Isabella and a special seat for Caoilainn." - he gesticulated - "however you made sure to get rid of all of that."
- "You are full of yourself, demon!" - said Isabella.
- "Maybe I am!" - he laughed - "I don't know why you are so mad, didn't you enjoy seeing your memories, or seeing like you are doomed to failure?" - Isabella leaned her head down. They noticed she felt that. - "and you Richard?" - Donisemon looked at him - "are you still looking for your heart? Are you unable to find it?" - Richard's body shook as Donisemon laughed. Caoilainn stepped forward and said:
- "You are an evil wretched fiend to hurt people like that! You deserve to die!" - hearing that Isabella got worried that the demon might attack and said:
- "Caoilainn is right!" - said Isabella unsheathing her sword. - "tell me why I shouldn't strike you down where you stand" - Donisemon smiled and laughed at her.
- "So you want to pick up a fight?" - he could barely contain himself. At this time, the others also picked their weapons - "unfortunately, this body does not allow me to teach you the lesson you deserve."- Caoilainn lifted her staff and sent a fireball in the demon's direction. In a swift movement, he avoided it. Caoilainn's eye widened, as she was amazed by his speed.

Isabella stepped up to protect Caoilainn. The demon laughed again and said:
- "Have patience, Caoilainn, your time will come." - he spread his arms - "soon the time of each one of you will come. Let's see how far this friendship of yours can come" - and with a malicious smile, he unleashed a curtain of smoke. 

Solerite
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